Majority of Nurses Feel the Lack of a Healthy Work Environment, According to National Study Shared by Prolink

Fairness, respect, and teamwork – not just compensation – hold the key to retention for both staff and travel nurses.

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A study published in The Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA) examining travel and staff nurses’ perceptions of their work environment found that most nurses — regardless of employment type — do not feel they work in a healthy or supportive environment.

This marks the first large-scale national study of nearly 2,400 nurses across six U.S. health systems to directly compare how staff and travel nurses perceive their work environments. The study challenges a common assumption that travel nurses face greater disadvantages. Instead, it found that travel nurses reported a workplace culture nearly identical to that of staff nurses. In both groups, nurses did not feel strongly that they worked in a healthy or supportive environment.

“Within nursing, there’s a common perception that travel nurses aren’t fully integrated into unit teams. But our study revealed that nurses’ attitudes about work environment are aligned, and that both staff and travel nurses are seeking a more cohesive work culture and stronger support from leadership,” said Natalie Jones, a study co-author and Senior Vice President of Clinical Practice and Innovation at Prolink, a premier workforce solutions firm.

“As the industry continues to navigate ongoing staffing shortages, nurse burnout, and a growing reliance on contingent labor, this presents a clear opportunity for nurse leaders to create more supportive environments, show appreciation, and better engage all nurses, regardless of role,” said Jones.

Additional findings included:

• Adequate staffing received the lowest ratings from nurses evaluating their work environment.
• Communication emerged as the highest-rated element of a healthy work environment.
• Staff nurses and travel nurses had similar ratings for respect, feeling valued, and workload fairness, with travel nurses rating these aspects just slightly lower.
• Among both staff and travel nurses, strong correlations were found between the ethical values of fairness, respect, and teamwork and their perceptions of a healthy work environment.
• Both groups strongly agreed that unit-level leadership plays a crucial role in cultivating ethical and supportive workplaces.

“Ultimately, our findings confirmed that leadership grounded in fairness, respect, and transparency has a measurable impact on improving the nurse experience,” said co-author Joyce Fitzpatrick, director of the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. “At the same time, it’s clear that the post-pandemic recovery isn’t over. Staffing and cultural challenges still linger across hospital systems and there’s more work to be done to ensure healthier, more supportive environments for all nurses.”

The study was originally published in The Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA), a Wolters Kluwer publication. More details and a link to the article can be found here: https://journals.lww.com/jonajournal/abstract/2025/06000/a_national_study_of_travel_and_nontravel_nurses_.5.aspx

About Prolink

Prolink is a premier workforce solutions organization connecting work and workers in meaningful ways across a variety of industries and skillsets. Founded in 2011, Prolink puts care in motion by fulfilling comprehensive staffing, technology, culture, data, and talent experience needs throughout the United States. Prolink has developed processes, in-depth client analysis, and other proprietary workforce optimization solutions that have proven invaluable to clients and talent alike. Prolink’s purpose is to bring your legacy to life, and it promises to be your solution to get there. Visit prolinkworks.com to learn more.

About Case Western Reserve University

At Case Western Reserve, one of the nation's leading research universities, we're driven to seek knowledge and find solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems. Nearly 6,200 undergraduate and 6,100 graduate students from across 96 countries study in our more than 250 degree programs across arts, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing, science, and social work. Our location in Cleveland, Ohio—a hub of cultural, business and healthcare activity—gives students unparalleled access to engaging academic, research, clinical, entrepreneurial and volunteer opportunities and prepares them to join our network of 125,000+ alumni making an impact worldwide. Visit case.edu to learn more.